Billiard or pool table.



No. 640,848. Patented 1an. 9, |900. J. W. WILKINSON. BILLIABD 0B PO0L TABLE.

(Application led Mar. 17, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN W. IVILKINSON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CLARENCE H. BILLINGS, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS.

BILLIARD OR POOL TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,848, dated January 9, 1900.

Application filed March 1'7, 1899. Serial No. 709,425. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. WILKINSON, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Billiard or Pool Tables, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is

a specification.

My invention relates to billiard and pool tables, and has for its object the prevention of the so-called freezing of the ball to the cushion; and it consists in a novel feature of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the accompanying drawings and to the claims hereto appended and in which my invention is clearly pointed out.

Figure l of the drawings is a plan of a billiard-table embodying Inyinvention, and Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section on line x :c on Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A is the slate bed of the table. B is the wooden rail; C, the cushion; E, the cloth covering of the bed A; F, the ball to be used in playing the game. All these parts are of usual and well-known construction, except so far as the surface of the table is affected by my invention.

To obviate the objectionable feature of the freezing of the ball to the cushion, I place a strip of thick paper D beneath the cloth contiguous to the cushion on all four sides of the table of such a width that its inner edge shall be at a distance from a line perpendicularly beneath the inner edge of the cushion slightly greater than one-half the diameter of the ball to be used, so that when the cloth covering of the table is secured in position there shall be a slight but almost imperceptible rise in the surface of the table along lines parallel to the edge of the cushion and'at such a distance therefrom that when the ball is in contact with the edge of the cushion said rise will be just inside of a point perpendicularly beneath the center of the ball. By this arrangement the ball when rolled toward and into contact with the cushion is lifted slightly just as it cornes in contact with the cushion, and as nearly one-half of the ball is inside of said raised line and the width of the bearing of the ball upon the cloth is reduced to a very narrow line a very slight reaction of the cushion is sufiicient to impel the ball inward upon the lower portion of the table, thus rendering it impossible to freeze the ball to the cushion, as is 'very common with tables as now universally constructed. v

The bearing-contact of the edge of the cushion with the ball in tables as usually constructed is somewhat above the level of the center of the ball, and consequently when the ball is frozen to or in contact with the cushion it is difficult to strike the ball to advantage, and hence the desirability of preventing the freezing of the ball to the cushion. This objection is entirely obviated by my invention.

I prefer to use Manila paper of medium thickness to raise the cloth vcontiguous to the cushions; but it is obvious that other hard paper or other materials maybe used for that purpose without departing from the princi; cles of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure` by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A billiard-table comprising in its construction a suitable bed, cushions and cover, and a strip of extremely thin material secured to said bed, beneath said cover', and contiguous to the cushions, of a width from the extreme inner edge of the cushions approximately equal to one-half the diameter of a standard billiard-ball, whereby the balls are prevented from freezing to the cushions sub.

stantially as described.

2. In combination with the bed and cushions of a billiard-table, a strip of extremely thin dat material as Manila paper secured to said bed contiguous to said cushion with its inner edge at a distance from the vertical plane in which lies the extreme inner edge of said cushion approximately equal to one-half the diameter of a standard billiardball,where by the balls are prevented from freezing to the cushions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence 0f two subscribing witnesses, on this 15th day of March, A. D. 1899.

JOHN W. WILKINSON.

Witnesses:

N. C. LOMBARD, WALTER E. LOMBARD. 

